Thief in the night
by carra2.0
Summary: What would happen if the citizens of Ferelden believed Loghain's lies about the wardens? Would Elissa Cousland risk everything to save the one she loves?
1. Chapter 1

This is a 'what if' scenario which came to me in a dream, no seriously. Please let me know what you think, reviews are welcomed and encouraged :)

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Ever since that fateful night when Arl Howe had destroyed everything she had ever known, Elissa's goal was set; unite the land in order to cease the blight, then exact vengeance on Howe. Thus she dedicated herself to performing the seemingly impossible task of gathering elves, dwarves, and men alike with staunch determination and energy, her desire to avenge her parents death a continual source of motivation. Although Elissa was determined to carry out the task which stood in the way of her exacting revenge as quickly as possible, she could not have known the temptation and distraction which falling in love would create.

A single gaze into the amber eyes which the would-be-assassin possessed was all it had taken for Elissa to know that she could not kill him, no matter how much Alistair objected. When Zevran had given her his oath, she alone had recognised the sincerity of his words. Little did she know that by allowing him to join their crusade that she was letting him into her heart.

Over the course of many weeks their romance had blossomed. From the slight, cautious yet deliberate touches, to the kisses and caresses, the two became inseperable. Their actions were known to all in the camp, yet their fellow party members all noticed the change which was evident in their leader. No longer was she plagued by dark moods which had in the past seen her silently staring into the darkness during the long nights at camp for hours at a time, and no longer did she keep herself at a distance from those she traveled with. Zevran had brought light back into her life when she had surrounded herself in darkness.

With him she was able to let her guard down, to be herself again. This should have been her first warning that she was slipping.

After departing the dalish camp which they commonly frequented after ridding the elves within of the curse of the werewolf, Elissa and her companions set up an early camp in a small clearing near the edge of the Brecilian forest. Satisfied that the camp was in a secure location, Elissa, along with Alistair, Morrigan and her faithful mabari Rusty, traveled back into the forest to make sure that they wouldn't have any unexpected company as well as to gather fresh bundles of elfroot for Wynne's stores.

It was a routine which they had performed numerous times before, which is what made the shock when they returned to camp a few hours later even more pronounced.

The scene that appeared before Elissa's eyes was one which she had never encountered before at their campsite, and it was moments before she truly began to register what the scene before her meant.

As the four scouts entered the camp, Sten was placing a nameless body on a pile of other unfortunates which had been created at the further most reach of their campsite. Aside from the fact that their camp had obviously been attacked, Elissa knew with increasing dread that something was terribly wrong. A quick head count confirmed her worst fears.

"Where's Zev?" Elissa inquired of her companions in a would-be calm voice, though she feared that she knew what the answer would be.

Her companions shared a look before Leliana stepped forward to address the question.

"We set up camp like we have always done, before assigning everyone a task to complete. Sten and I went into the forest to gather firewood, while Wynne went hunting for water in order to restock our supplies, and Zevran was left to guard the camp. There was no sign of an ambush when we left, and we weren't even aware that something was amiss until we returned to camp. When we returned we found men, these Denerim soldiers, dead and dying in our midst, but there was no sign of Zevran. We found tracks leading back to Denerim, so we can only assume that they captured him in the hopes of flushing the rest of us out."

Once Leliana had finished her tale her eyes lowered to the ground, knowing that they had let their leader down.

Elissa wanted to scream. She wanted to cry, she wanted to run until she could no longer feel anything; numbness would be preferable to the anger, fear, and loss which cascaded throughout her body and threatened to overwhelm her. How dare the Maker take away the one ray of light in her life, was the loss of her parents not enough for her to suffer? Must she lose everyone she cares about?

Several deep breaths enabled her to calm down enough to think about what Leliana had told her. Elissa deduced that Zevran had faced the battle alone in order to protect their other companions, which would ultimately leave her with more protection for the upcoming trials she would face.

Gazing momentarily at the four bodies which Zevran had been able to dispatch before he was carried off, Elissa recalled what Leliana had told her.

"You said some of these men were still dying when you returned to camp, do any of them yet live?"

As if anticipating what was about to come, with a grimace Wynne nodded before casting her sight towards one of the large oak trees which bordered the camp.

Without a word, Elissa's long legs carried her to the location which held the final, remaining live member of the mercenaries which had attacked their camp. Even without the twilight creating a sombre yet dire setting, Elissa's very countenance portrayed that she would get the answers she sought from the mercenary, no matter what it took.

Approaching the large oak tree, Elissa could see that this mercenary had seen better days. There was a large slash down the left side of his face, courtesy of a sharp dagger, which split his face open from cheek to jaw bone in an imbued mix of blood, flesh, and bone. Now standing directly in front of the man, Elissa could tell that he had the beginnings of not one but two black eyes, and as he squinted up at her he grinned, revealing a mouth full of blood and loose teeth.

Elissa was not in the mood to extract information in a cunning or discreet manner from this man, rather she crouched before him, assessed that the ropes which bound him would hold, and with deft skill, swiftly drew one of the daggers which she carried and placed it at the mans throat.

"I know you've been sent by the so-called arl of Denerim, courtesy of Loghain, what I want to know is what he hopes to achieve by taking one of us captive."

Elissa stared straight at the prostrate man before her, her tone demanding that he answer her questions immediately.

Unfortunately the mercenary had not realized the gravity of his situation, and instead of answering the very irate warden, he laughed.

"Come on love, you don't think I would give up that information so readily, do you?"

"No, I didn't," replied an impassive Elissa, "But it would have been for you own benefit."

And with that she grabbed his right hand, and without any further warning or indication she lopped off the pinky finger.

Warily watching in the background, Elissa's companions made no indication of stepping in and stopping their leader, regardless of the blood curdling screams which she was emitting from the mercenary. While they didn't necessarily advocate this sort of ruthless behaviour, they understood her reasons for acting in such a manner, and none of them wanted to be the one who suggested that they cut their losses and move on.

The mercenary lost three more fingers and a knee cap before he was willing to share the information he knew, and once Elissa was certain that there was no further information to be gleaned from this source she simply cut his throat.

After wiping her blade on a patch of grass, Elissa returned to her companions with a dark scowl marring her fair features.

"That bastard!" She spat, no longer able to contain her fury and anguish. "Loghain has had his men patrolling this stretch or road for weeks hoping to catch us unaware so that he can force a public confession of our so-called crimes against Ferelden."

"But why take Zevran?" Alistair inquired. "Wouldn't you or I have been the obvious target?"

"Of course, but Loghain felt that one of our companions might be a little less of will, and would be more easily convinced to speak out against us and our actions. Loghain hopes to force a confession which would see us all caught and made examples of."

Elissa briefly looked away and mentally calmed herself before continuing on with the tale.

"Having Zev is nearly as good as having managed to capture either of us though. Since Loghain knows that Zevran was hired to kill us, he knows that Zevran definitely knows who we are, and will go to any measure to extract that information from him. The mercenary told me that at noon on the third day from now that there will be a publicly held inquest in which Zev will be expected to answer the questions which Loghain wants to hear, but even if he does there is still a good chance that he will be executed."

Having relayed all of the information which she had extracted from the mercenary, Elissa finally allowed a single tear to roll down her cheek. This time, she refused to walk away when someone she loved needed her, this time things would be different. She refused to abandon Zev now that he needed her most. Somehow, she would find a way to extracate him from this dilemma.

Turning once again to her companions, Elissa was able to find her voice. "Rest up tonight. At first light we leave for Denerim. We will rescue him."


	2. Chapter 2

I hope you enjoy part 2. Please review and let me know what you think :)

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Elissa was beyond condolence and reason. With steadfast determination and an iron strong will Elissa led her companions at an unfaltering pace to the city of Denerim.

With Loghain's men and hired mercenaries patrolling the roads which led to the city, Elissa knew that the only way they would succeed in gaining access to the city relied on them being able to remain undetected.

It had taken the disheveled and travel weary companions two full days of traveling to reach the outskirts of the city.

Traveling through the forests and wilder lands which kept them from plain sight had been a taxing experience for them all. The forests themselves were dense and overgrown with lush vegetation and foliage; the uncultivated and overrun forest proved reluctant to allow passage through its seemingly impenetrable curtain of shades of green.

Yet the forest could not offer safety within its walls of ancient trees and wild bush. Hidden dangers lurked within the realm of the forest, from the unseen branch ready to trip up or batter the unsuspecting victim, to the more concerning and deadly peril of bandits and the creatures of the forest themselves, who have been known to cause swelling, fever, and even death with a single bite.

By some small miracle, the party managed to make it out of the woods unscathed, albeit for minor scratches and bug bites. Knowing that her party members were tired and that her very livelihood, not to mention Zevran's life, depended on the success of their actions the next day, Elissa called for an early camp.

The party ate in silence that night. As much as they all respected Elissa as their leader, she knew that they were all wondering if she would be able to stick to the plan they had devised, pondering if instead she would throw away everything they had worked towards if she let her emotions rule her head. The thing which worried Elissa the most was that she didn't know what she would do when she saw him, and couldn't guarantee even to herself that she would be able to master her emotions.

Once the dusk had given way to the full calignosity of the night, the party members said their good nights and made their way to their respective tents.

Elissa lay alone in the crushing void of the darkness which filled her tent. The pressure of what she had to accomplish the next day and the implications of what would happen if she was unable to complete the task weighed heavily on her mind. With a weary sigh, Elissa forced herself to put thoughts of Zevran out of her mind, knowing that she would never sleep otherwise, and she refused to suffer from sleep deprivation on a day when she needed all of her wits about her in order to extricate Zevran from his precarious position.

Surprisingly, sleep came willingly to Elissa that night. She slept peacefully the night through, with the soft, gentle summer breeze caressing her sleeping form, filling her head with dreams of lying in Zevran's embrace.

The first rays of the dawn stirred the companions out of their slumber. Rising at first light was a custom which Elissa and her companions were accustom to. This morning however was strangely still and silent, as if even the wildlife could sense the apprehension and trepidation which filled the small campsite.

Elissa was one of the first to rise. Instead of being cloaked in her usual leather armor, Elissa and those accompanying her would be donning the clothes of the common citizen, for it would do no good to march into the town center clad head to toe in armor while carrying enough weapons to put a half-decent armory to shame.

Thankfully, the flowing skirt of Elissa's appropriated outfit allowed enough room for her to conceal two daggers; one strapped to each thigh, while she also carried two more daggers at her waist, concealed by an inconspicuous piece of material which masqueraded as a wide belt.

Brushing down her skirt one last time, Elissa pulled the flap back on her tent and went out into the morning light to greet her companions on this day of reckoning.

Around the campfire Alistair, Wynne, and Leliana were seated, waiting for her in attire that was similar to her own. Leliana appeared the most comfortable of them all in her commoner's clothing. Evidently her time in the cloister after her time as a bard had given her the skills necessary to blend in in any situation. She looked calm and docile, but Elissa knew that she too was genuinely concerned for Zevran, and that her daggers could be at hand in but a second. Wynne too looked like she could pass for an average citizen. Though she had chosen to leave her staff behind, for that would too readily mark her as either someone important or an apostate, Elissa knew that Wynne's magic could be released in a fraction of a thought. Alistair however was very distressed by his attire. Dressed in a faded blue tunic and black colored cloth pants, Alistair had nowhere to conceal his long sword.

"How am I suppose to protect you if things go wrong if I don't have my sword?" Alistair asked Elissa, growing more and more perplexed and irritated.

Elissa gazed at him evenly. "Things won't go wrong. We have a plan, we stick to it and we'll be fine."

"But what if..." Alistair started to interject.

"No, there is no 'what if'," Elissa snapped, and Alistair visibly shrunk under her glare. "Nothing will go wrong, because if it does Zevran is dead and I won't let that happen."

Without saying a word, or passing judgment, Wynne brought a cold bowl of porridge over to the smoldering Elissa.

"Here, I know it isn't much, but the day will seem a lot less daunting with some food in your stomach."

The motherly routine got her every time. Elissa busied herself with her breakfast while Leliana provided Alistair with a dagger, which was really more of a short sword, which he could easily conceal in the waistband of his slacks.

Once Wynne was satisfied that everyone had eaten and was adequately dressed to pass for common citizens, the small group headed for Denerim. Looking around at her companions Elissa couldn't help but sigh. Even in clad in commoner clothes they still looked regal; they all carried themselves with dignity and exuded power and fierce intelligence, well except for Alistair she thought to herself, allowing a brief smile to touch upon her face.

Upon entering the gates at Denerim, the party split up as to not draw attention to themselves. Leliana was the first to disappear into the crowd. She had been tasked with finding out where Zevran was being kept, and then to assess the building for any shortcomings which might assist with their rescue mission. Wynne too went off in a separate direction. Her role was to watch at the front of the crowds of people who were showing up for the public interrogation, for this wouldn't be a suspicious action for an aging woman thus she would draw no notice, and would be readily at hand with her magic should the plan regress into fighting for their lives. This left Elissa and Alistair to masquerade as a newly married couple as they navigated their way through the mass of people.

In the market district a makeshift stage had been constructed for the public interrogation. Elissa felt her blood boil as she noted the hangman's noose which took up the left hand side of the stage, an ominous sign if she had ever seen one.

"It's like they've already determined to kill him." Elissa whispered anxiously to Alistair. Not knowing what to say, Alistair gave her small hand a squeeze, hoping that this gesture was able to reassure her, at least a little.

The market place was a hive of activity, with locals already jostling for a prime viewing position. Clearly word had been far spread for the upcoming interrogation. Elissa was no fool. She knew that the real interrogation would have been carried out behind closed doors and with iron fists. The public interrogation was merely a show for the people, a means to further poison their minds against the wardens.

Elissa and Alistair made their way to a spot near the front of the crowd; a position where they had a clear view of the stage but were concealed behind a screen of local children.

As the sun reached its highest point in the sky, Elissa was trying her best to conceal her anxiety, yet her calm face was betrayed by the death grip in which she held Alistair's hand in her own.

A growing commotion to their right drew Elissa's attention, and she immediately noticed an armed procession making their way through the crowd towards the stage. Feeling herself cascading with emotion, Elissa desperately looked to the procession, frantically scouting for Zevran.

As if the Maker had heard her silent pleas, one of the guards altered his position a few steps, granting Elissa the sight of her blond haired paramour. Although he carried himself with as much of his usual confident swagger that he could muster, Elissa could immediately tell that he had been severely beaten. His slightly crouched stance belied that his ribs were at least extremely bruised, and she could discern a wound on the right side of his face, a combination of both fresh and old blood which matted his hair and was slowly seeping down his face.

At the sight of him, Elissa emitted a soft sob, her grey eyes welling up with tears that threatened to spill over her lids. As if he had heard her cry, Zevran's amber eyes met her own, as if he had known all along that she would be there. His eyes told her everything; how much pain he was in, how sorry he was for causing her distress, his disappointment that their time together was over in such a short space of time, and even though he had never said the words before, that he loved her with all of his heart.

Forcibly shoving him, the guards positioned Zevran in the center of the stage, so he could be seen and heard by all. Clearly Loghain was confident that Zevran would behave as planned.

The sound of heavy steel boots approaching the stage momentarily drew the attention from the bronze elf. Ser Cauthrien, Loghain's lieutenant, swiftly strode towards the stage with a stern expression marring what otherwise would have been fair features. Without pausing to address the crowd or the situation at hand, Cauthrien launched straight into attack mode.

"Elf, you have been found guilty of conspiring with the Grey Wardens which makes you an enemy of Ferelden." The crowd roared its approval while Elissa and Alistair winced. "While this automatically means you are to be sentenced to death, you may earn a fast death for yourself by denouncing the wardens and telling us where we can find them."

Elissa felt Alistair tense as Zevran was pushed towards the front of the stage to speak his declaration. Elissa knew the others weren't convinced that Zevran wouldn't betray them to the enemy, the enemy that had hired him to kill them not so long ago, but she knew that his fealty was to her alone.

With a flirty grin which so often visited his features, Zevran addressed Cauthrien. "My dear lady, we have been over this many times since you manged to capture me, which was a disservice to myself may I add, but I am afraid that I cannot do as you so nicely ask." Finishing off his speech with a mock bow, as much as one can with arms bound behind ones back, Zevran waited with a calm expression on his face. In direct contrast to this, Cauthrien's face was flushed with fury. Obviously this was not the way Zevran had led her to believe that the conversation would proceed.

Cauthrien swiftly backhanded Zevran across his jaw with a heavily armored glove. The blow was hard enough to unbalance Zevran who was immediately roughly hauled back to his feet by the surrounding guards. Fresh blood trickled down from the corner of his mouth.

"I'll ask you one last time elf, tell us where the wardens are hiding so that we can quench their efforts to usurp and destroy Ferelden."

Bravely, Zevran addressed the crowd.

"I cannot and will not tell you where they are. In your foolishness you have forgotten that the wardens are the only ones who can stop the blight. Their quest is of a greater importance than my life is worth, and I would not turn them over to you malcontents in order to spare myself a bit of pain and discomfort. The wardens have more honor, dignity and inner strength than you or your false king could ever have. Their quest will ultimately save all of you, even though you have fought for their deaths. If I am to die, then I am proud that I have been able to assist with such a noble task, and that I have been able to experience love once again before I die."

"Wrong answer, elf." Cauthrien sneered. "You will now die for your sins against Ferelden. Enjoy your last night on this earth for tomorrow at dawn you will face your judgment."

The crowd cheered, while Elissa would have collapsed if Alistair hadn't placed his arms around her. Elissa desperately tried to catch Zevran's eyes as he was forcibly shoved back towards the tower where he was being held. Elissa felt hopelessness settle around her like a suffocating weight. Frantically she wracked her brain for a means to save him. Somehow, she had to save him, somehow...


	3. Chapter 3

This is the last chapter of this story. I hope you have all enjoyed it! Once again reviews, constructive criticism and comments are welcome :)

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Elissa and Leliana quickly covered the distance between the tavern and the tower where Zevran was being held. Knowing it would be seen as suspicious for anyone to enter the city after nightfall, especially two lone travelling women; Elissa and Leliana had rented a room at the gnawed noble tavern. This had enabled their presence to remain unremarkable. Once the moon had reached its highest point in the night sky, Elissa and Leliana had donned their light armour and sheathed their daggers, concealed by jet-black travelling cloaks, and had slipped unnoticed out of the window.

The courtyard which earlier in the day had been swarming with citizens and guards alike was now desolate in the pitch-black night; the crescent moon enabling the two women to become enshrouded in the shadows.

Hearing a rustling of wings, Elissa gazed towards the sky. In the darkness of the night she could only just discern the faint outline of a raven which circled around them before climbing to a greater height. The raven was one of Morrigan's favorite forms, an appropriated form which came in rather handy for subtle scouting. Tonight Morrigan would be their lookout, and would alert the others, who were camped just outside the city walls, if something should go wrong.

Elissa and Leliana reached Zevran's tower unnoticed. Guards were stationed at the entrance of the tower, but Elissa had already planned for this. Silently giving a signal to Leliana, the two women split from their position directly behind the entrance on the other side of the tower.

Elissa noiselessly but swiftly made her way to the front of the tower. Her eyes, now accustom the the black of night, took in a much welcomed sight. The two guards were clearly confident that there would be no trouble that night, that the wardens had abandoned the assassin to his doom, as judging by smell of their breaths, they were at least half way through the bottle of alcohol they had smuggled with them.

Her black cloak rendered her practically invisible to the guards and their impaired senses. Stepping behind the guard closest to her, Elissa unsheathed one of her daggers without a sound. Placing her left hand over the guards mouth, she promptly pulled his head back and drew her dagger across his throat, slicing through his yielding flesh and severing his jugular. Blood gushed out of the mortal wound as his life force faded away without a sound.

Lowering the dead weight to the ground, Elissa saw that Leliana had dispatched her guard in a similar manner. Wiping her dagger on the dead guard's cloak, she signaled to Leliana to copy her actions, as she hooked her arms around the guard's chest and dragged him into a sitting position, leaning the dead body against the tower for support. This would at least bide them some time should the bodies be discovered, for it would only take one citizen to notice the guards in a pool of their own blood to bring the whole rescue mission down around their ears.

Elissa and Leliana slipped through the tower door, determination driving them forward. "We have to move quickly", Elissa whispered to Leliana. "We don't know how long those guards will go unnoticed, and there's bound to be more guards stationed with Zevran. We need to dispatch them and get out of here before our good luck runs out."

Leliana nodded in agreement and unsheathed her daggers, ready for the forthcoming fight.

Silently, they crept up the stairs, each step bringing them closer to freeing Zevran.

They reached the top of the tower without incident, having moved slowly and cautiously lest they unwittingly give off any sound that would alert them to the guards they hoped to take by surprise.

Pausing briefly outside of the door which held Zevran captive within, the final obstacle between him and freedom, Elissa motioned to Leliana to take her place opposite her on the opposing side of the large, wooden door.

With deft fingers and practiced skill, Elissa picked the lock which held the door closed. With her skills as an accomplished rogue, and her black cloak wrapped around her lean form, Elissa was able to push the door open without being seen.

"Dammit John, did you forget to lock the door behind you again?" They heard an irritated guard from within the room inquired of another.

Muttered cursing followed this accusation, and the shuffling of footsteps told Elissa that this oblivious guard would be the next to fall to her sword.

As the guard named John reached the door, preparing to lock it once more against the outside world, Elissa stepped out from the shadows and plunged her dagger deep into the man's chest. The guard stared at Elissa, the incredulousness of his demise written all over his face, while desperately holding his hands to the mortal wound, causing his hands to quickly become slicked with warm, red blood. In a matter of seconds the guard collapsed at Elissa's feet, causing the remaining guards in the room to look to the door in shock, with slow comprehension forming on their faces.

With John the guard no longer blocking her line of sight, Elissa now had her first view into the room. It was a small, typical dungeon room; dark, damp, and reeking of hopelessness. The ceiling was low, and the room housed only one window, complete with iron bars to prevent escape. The bars on the window were hardly necessary though, given that the small window would have only allowed the most diminutive person escape. Light was granted to the cramped quarters by a number of oil-lit lanterns, which highlighted the shock and surprise on the guard's faces. Five light armored guards were slowly realizing that their station was under attack, and were making moves to arm themselves against the invaders.

Leliana stepped beside Elissa, ready to help her friend and leader dispatch of the men who had been party to the capture and torture of Zevran. One of the guards let his anger get the best of him, and with a shout, he charged at the two women. Without a thought, Leliana had one of her daggers in her hand one moment, the next it was sailing through the air with deadly precision. Her dagger collided with the charging guard, entering his throat and severing his spinal cord, killing him instantly.

This spurred the remaining guards into action. Rushing to meet their foes, Elissa and Leliana entered the room, knowing their smaller forms would have the advantage in such close quarters. The small room was suddenly abound with the sounds of battle. Swords clanging against shields and parried strikes, and grunts of the guards as they tried in vain to repel the women.

The battle was over relatively quickly. Elissa had dispatched her first opponent after he had swung wildly over her head. Having ducked to avoid the blow, Elissa found an opening to thrust her dagger into the mans groin, slicing his femoral artery, and had left him to bleed out, knowing it would not take long. Her second opponent, seeing another of his comrades fall, had lost all abandon and charged recklessly at her. Dodging to the man's shield arm side, Elissa used his momentum to place as much distance between them as the small room would allow for. As the man turned, preparing to charge again, Elissa let one of her daggers fly. The dagger sliced through the guards right eye, carving through the unprotected jelly-like substance of his eye before entering his brain, killing him where he stood.

The room was now eerily quiet, with the only perceivable sounds that of Elissa and Leliana's breathing, and the steady dripping sound of blood as it continued to spill long after the guard's hearts had ceased to beat.

Elissa apprehensively made her way to the cell where Zevran was being held. The light from the oil lamps barely reached this section of the room, and Elissa could only just discern a small, beaten figure at the back of the cell.

With her emotions tearing at her heart, Elissa quickly unlocked the cell door and crouched down in front of the prone figure. "Zev?" Elissa softly inquired, praying to the Maker that he would remember her and would be alright.

Slowly, Zevran lifted his head and his eyes met hers. Seeing the damage that Cauthrien and her men had done brought tears to her eyes. "Oh Zev, what have they done to you?" She murmured while gently brushing stray stands of his blond hair away from his face. "You should not have come, mi amor, you have made a powerful enemy even more dangerous." Zevran spoke though cracked lips, and even his voice sounded weary, though Elissa knew he did not mean the words he spoke.

As gently as possible, Elissa helped Zevran to his feet. Hooking his left arm around her shoulders, and holding him around his waist with her right arm, the small, bloodstained party made their way out of the tower.

Two weeks later, Zevran had healed enough for the party to continue on their mission to unite Ferelden. Most of his wounds had closed up, and the only lasting injury was a few broken ribs which were slowly repairing themselves, with help from Wynne's magic.

The night before the companions were set to make their way to Orzammar, Elissa and Zevran were watching the fire together as it slowly burned through the last of their firewood. Sitting on the ground in front of the fire, leaning against each other, Elissa once again thanked the spirits that they had been able to save her Zev. Turning to face her, the glow of the fire highlighting his fair features, Zevran leaned in and gave her a soft, sensual kiss. "You know, that's twice you've saved me now, if I'm not careful I will lose all credibility as a deadly assassin," he said with a soft smirk on his face. "And we couldn't have that now, master Arainai, could we?" Elissa smiled, returning the jest.

Zevran's demeanor suddenly changed, he became serious as he tried to express himself to her. "The whole time I was captive I kept thinking to myself, 'ah Zevran you fool, you meet a woman who is not only beautiful and smart, but is also nearly your match at stealth, and now you are going to die without ever getting a chance to tell her that you love her.'"

"Now that I have been granted a second chance, I wish to give you this." Zevran rummaged around in his pockets before proffering a golden earring.

"Zev, it's beautiful!" Elissa exclaimed.

"It has meant a lot to me, and so have you. I just want you to know that." Taking her hands in his own, Zevran's amber eyes were steeled with determination. "And only the Maker himself could remove me from your side. By your side I would willingly storm the gates of the Dark City itself. Never doubt it!"

Zevran took Elissa's hand and led her to their tent. Falling asleep in each other's arms was the best feeling in the world for Elissa. Though she did not know what the future would bring, she knew that as long as Zevran was by her side, she felt that she could accomplish anything.


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